The Houston Area League of PC Users – which once claimed to be the largest computer users group in the country – is calling it quits. In an email sent to its members today, HAL-PC’s board members said the group will dissolve. It’s a fate that has befallen many computer users groups, which initially blossomed […]
[Read More]

Oh, look! It’s time for the Friday open comments thread on TechBlog! You know what to do: Leave a comment about anything having to do with personal technology, and I’ll approve it. Others will see what you had to say, and respond. You come back later, see what’s transpired, and add to the fray. Also, […]
[Read More]

Google I/O 2014 will showcase the Internet giant’s ambitions to reach further into consumers’ lives, including their homes, what they wear and what they drive. At a Wednesday keynote speech kicking off the two-day conference, Google executives will reveal more details about Android Wear, an initiative the company hopes to make into the underlying platform […]
[Read More]

Aereo, the startup that uses individual, tiny antennas to stream live TV over the Internet, was ruled an illegal service in a 6-3 United States Supreme Court decision on Wednesday. It’s a win for traditional broadcasters and cable TV operators who had argued that New York-based Aereo was redistributing their content without payment or permission. […]
[Read More]

When it first went on sale just over a year ago, one of Google’s Chromebook Pixel’s selling points was two years of free – but limited to 100 megabytes a month – access to Verizon’s LTE network. But now, those who forked over those big bucks have discovered that two years have been downsized to one.
[Read More]

Today, I received my invitation to participate in T-Mobile’s iPhone 5S Test Drive. When the program was announced Thursday, CEO John Legere promised it would live on the Web on Monday. Apparently, T-Mobile’s honchos opted to pull the trigger a day early.
[Read More]

It’s time for our Friday open comments on TechBlog. The drill, as always, is simple: You leave a comment about anything having to do with personal technology, and I’ll approve it. Others will stop by, see your thoughts and – if they’re compelling or inspiring – respond to them. You come back later, see what […]
[Read More]

If you think the market for cellphone plans has gotten a little less onerous over the past couple of years, you can pretty much thank T-Mobile. The upstart carrier that’s No. 4 in the U.S. market began the trend of moving away from contract-based plans, returned to a form of unlimited data and allows users […]
[Read More]

For the past five years, PC Magazine has crisscrossed the country, testing cellular data speeds in various cities. Houston’s always on the list, and the 2014 results of the drive test are now out.
[Read More]

Once more, with feeling: Here’s the weekly open-comment thread on TechBlog. It’s your chance to have your say about anything having to do with personal technology. Leave a comment here, and I’ll approve it. Others will see what you had to say, and respond. Come back later to see the results, then say some more. […]
[Read More]

Don’t want your home network to host a public Wi-Fi hotspot on behalf of Comcast? You can disable that feature, or you can take a more permanent approach – bring your own modem and router to the party.
[Read More]

Comcast has turned on the Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots in Houston that I wrote about in today’s Houston Chronicle. Approximately 50,000 of the residential Arris Touchstone Telephony Wireless Gateway Modems in the area are now broadcasting an “xfinitywifi” hotspot that’s free for any Comcast customer to use. Comcast spokesman Michael Bybee said the process was completed […]
[Read More]

Update 12.9.2014: A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Comcast over turning on public Wi-Fi hotspots on residential routers without first asking customers’ permission. Update: Comcast has turned on the first 50,000 residential hotspots. Original post: Some time on Tuesday afternoon, about 50,000 Comcast Internet customers in Houston will become part of a massive public […]
[Read More]